It is said to be so due to the symbols he used to show when talking and look at his body language . Actually it is impossible to tell whether or not someone is a Freemason by …body language or some arcane interpretation of how he holds his hands. (MORE)

George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. On April 30, 1789, he was inaugurated with John Adams as Vice-President. Before Washington, DC becam…e the nation's capital, the congress met in a number of places; including, Philadelphia's Independence Hall and Congress Hall. It also met in New York City in Federal Hall, Maryland, in the State House in Annapolis, and Nassau Hall in Princeton, New Jersey. According to the America's Library site, on July 16, 1790, Congress declared the city of Washington in the District of Columbia, the permanent capital of the United States. Because George Washington was a Freemason and because of the mystery surrounding the Masonic Order in general, there are theories about how they may have been connected to the history of the design of the nation's capitol.Yes, at the age of 20 in 1752 he became a Freemason in Fredericksburg, Virginia according to the George Washington Masonic Memorial website. Then on August 4, 1753, George Washington, who was a major in the Continental Army, became a Third Degree or Master Mason. In 1789, when he became President of the United States, the Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York, administered the oath of office. The Marshal of the day and his escort were both generals in the United States Army and Freemasons and the Bible on which he swore his oath belonged to St John's Masonic Lodge of New York.According to the site Washington D.C. Geometry, the area of Washington D.C. was chosen to be the national capital because it was an undeveloped area. Washington selected Frenchman Pierre L'enfant to design the layout of the city. Washington as a Freemason was a student of the history of ancient civilizations such as the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, which can be seen in the monuments in the city. Thomas Jefferson had sketched out a simpler design but L'enfant's vision won Washington over and changed history.There are many Masonic connections to the American capitol. History records that the president of the Maryland Grand Freemason Lodge presided over the ceremony for laying the cornerstone of the nation's capitol. Masonic Lodges from Maryland and Virginia were also in attendance at the cornerstone ceremony; all were in full Masonic regalia. George Washington himself placed the cornerstone and was presented with a silver plate commemorating the event and inscribed with the designations of the Masonic Lodges in attendance. Conspiracy theorists, believe there are Masonic symbols in place all around Washington D.C. These symbols are said to be present in the layout of the city and its monuments.According to the historical records of the Holland, New York Masonic Lodge, Pierre L'Enfant was initiated an Entered Apprentice in on April 17, 1789. Coincidental or not, that was the same month in which George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States, in New York City. The streets in Washington D.C. are said to be laid out in the shape of a pentacle. The Washington monument is said to be modeled on an Egyptian obelisk. The Capitol is said to resemble a Greek temple. Greek and Egyptian history is said to be revered by Freemasons. Depending on whom you ask, the city of Washington D.C. is said to have been intentionally designed by Freemasons to be devoted to Masonic beliefs of seeking knowledge and fraternal brotherhood.There is a definite connection between the first president of the United States, George Washington, and the Freemasons. He was a high-ranking Freemason. Washington also picked the architect who designed the city of Washington D.C. He chose Frenchman Pierre L'enfant to design the city. Some people believe that Pierre L'enfant, being a Freemason, intentionally put Masonic symbols around the city and incorporated them into the layout. One symbol that they point to is the street layout that supposedly forms a pentacle.There are people that believe the America one-dollar bill has Masonic symbols on it. ?To begin with there is the All-Seeing Eye above the pyramid. This is a Freemason symbol and the Latin underneath it is a Freemason motto. The motto's meaning is ?new world order.? However, many people believe that the decision to place that Masonic symbol on the dollar bill was not influenced by Freemasons. Benjamin Franklin was the only Freemason on the committee that designed the dollar bill.(MORE)

NATO was a treaty signed in 1949 by countries pledging military alliance with each other. There are a total of 28 countries that are members of NATO. However, not all 28 count…ries were originally part of NATO when it was first signed. There have been a total of six NATO enlargements since 1949. Most of these enlargements happened after a major war, such as the Korean War and Cold War. The following will go into further detail about the history of the NATO members.Out of the 28 countries that are members of NATO, only 12 of them are original members. The original members wanted to secure a military alliance in case another World War I or II incident happened again. On April 4, 1949, the Unites States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Canada, Norway, France, the Netherlands, Iceland, Italy, and Luxembourg formed the group. In the beginning, this was more of a political association than a military alliance. It wasn't until the Korean War that this treaty was used for the military stipulations.The first, second, and third enlargements of NATO were the smallest of all six of the expansions. In the first expansion, only two countries joined. In the second and third expansion, only one country joined NATO. The first expansion occurred on February 18, 1952, where Greece and Turkey became NATO Members. Adding both Greece and Turkey was a strategic alliance because of where they are geographically located. The second expansion of NATO came on May 9, 1952, when West Germany joined NATO. Their main reason for signing this treaty was to insure their integration into the Western European defense system, and to ensure the containment of Sovietism expansion in Europe. The longest gap in NATO expansion history comes between the second and third expansion. The third expansion did not come until May 30, 1982, when Spain joined the members of NATO. The joining of Spain was more for a strategic position. Their geographical position made them very valuable with their sea and air communication routes.The fourth and fifth expansion of NATO member is the largest recorded in history. In October of 1990, Germany had its reunification, which opened up more of Europe. The fourth expansion came on March 12, 1999, when three countries joined NATO: Czech Republic, Hungry, and Poland. This decision came after much debate in Madrid with France and the United States over different countries they wanted to invite into NATO. Five years later, the fifth enlargement of NATO occurred on March 29, 2004. They added seven new countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lituania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Domestic and foreign policy was the major discussion of the Prague Summit in November of 2002. The issues discussed at this meeting led to the addition of these seven countries.The final enlargement of NATO members was the most controversial of all the enlargements. On April 1, 2009, NATO added Albania and Croatia to its members. This enlargement is known as the Wisdom Enlargement of 2009. Both countries joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1992, waiting to get an invitation to join NATO. Since they joined in 2009, they have been strong allies to the United States and Europe. Albania has the most citizen support with 95 percent of the country supporting the decision to join NATO, whereas most countries only have between 42 percent and 78 percent.Joining NATO has shown to be very beneficial to its 28 members. Some of them were added for military strategic reasons, while others were invited for their political resources. Most of the enlargements occur after a summit where global politicians meet to talk about domestic and foreign policies. The Korean War and Germany unification are the two major events in history to cause an enlargement. All of the NATO member enlargements have marked a major turning point in global history, so allow this information to broaden your views of world affairs, both past and present.Mr. Lester B. Person is one of the most notable political members of NATO. He was one of the "Three Wise Men." They drafted the report about non-military corporation in NATO.(MORE)

The World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed in 1995. The purpose of the WTO is to liberalize and supervise trade agreements. It creates a forum for creating coalitions and t…rade agreements, as well as a means of dispute resolutions. The WTO spends much of its time negotiating old and current agreements. The member countries vastly outweigh the non-members and, in many cases, the non-members are actively seeking membership.As states above, the primary purpose is dispute resolution and negotiations. It also operates as a researching organization. It collects and analyzes economic data and research for global trade and commerce. This is released annually in a report. It operates to assist developing countries and low income countries in becoming developed economies. The WTO works closely with other organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Bretton Woods system.It is easier to ask what countries are not members. The WTO is an enormous conglomerate that comprises over 159 member countries. Those that are seeking membership are listed as, observers seeking membership. Currently, as of 2013, there are 25 countries with this status. Most of these are countries that are related in some form of conflict with the United States.Membership is a relatively long process. With the exception of the Holy See (Vatican), a country must begin the membership process within five years of entering observer status. The first prerequisite is that the country or state be completely autonomous with all aspects of its trade policies. From there the procedure requires any trade or economic policies that may have bearing on the WTO be described. The next step is for the country to explain what benefits they will bring to the table. For example, export commitments and tariff information. Next, the terms are negotiated and finally a two-thirds vote is required to approve the new member.It operates on five principles of trade. These principles are safety valves, binding and enforceable commitments, transparency, reciprocity, and non-discrimination. Each of these principles has a specific and necessary purpose. The safety valve feature allows for certain governments, under certain circumstances, to restrict trade. These generally involve environmental protection, public health, and plant and animal health. Transparency is necessary for any of the other principles to exist. Reciprocity is a motivating factor for creating trade while binding and enforceable contracts are the teeth.This is an incredibly important aspect of the organization. It allows for all members to benefit from negotiations and contracts. This principle operates off of two key ideas. The first is the concept of the Most Favored Nation (MFN) and the other is the National Treatment policy. MFN means that the most favorable rules applying to one country, in regards to tariffs or trade policies, apply to all other members of the organization. National Treatment means that the rules of a country's own citizens apply to foreigners.The WTO is relatively new on the world stage. Before it was formed there was an agreement called the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). GATT has been in existence since 1948. When the World Trade Organization came into existence in 1995 GATT remained in existence as part of the framework.The WTO is an enormous conglomerate that comprises over 159 member countries. Those that are seeking membership are listed as, observers seeking membership. As of 2013, there are 25 countries with this status.(MORE)

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, is a powerful consortium whose members wield great influence in the economics and business worlds. These nation…s meet to decide upon quotas for oil production, attempting both to profit themselves and maintain a stable international energy market. However, they have also acted in an unrestrained manner at times, such as during the Oil Embargo of 1973, when they used their power in a punitive fashion against Israel's supporters. OPEC is one of the major forces in the world economy and has a strong say over gas prices in the United States.The various nations who are OPEC members have a vested interest in working together to coordinate their efforts, though as shall be seen, they are not always in accord. Membership in this cartel is restricted to national governments, and does not include individual oil companies. Belonging to the cartel depends on several factors, one of which is being a net exporter of oil, or a nation whose oil exports exceed its imports of "black gold." The other is that the members must, theoretically at least, abide by quotas that are set by the organization as a whole, though this often flouted.OPEC was established in Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, during negotiations in 1960. The organization became officially active in January of the following year. The original members were Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, and Venezuela. These initial five were soon joined by nine more, bringing the total to 14 countries, including Ecuador in South America, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, Algeria, Libya, Angola, Gabon, and Nigeria in Africa, and Indonesia in Asia. Of these, Gabon and Indonesia have left the alliance as of 2013.The two OPEC states that quit the alliance permanently did so for different reasons. In the case of Gabon, which quit the league in 1995, desires to produce more oil and to avoid a $2 million membership fee were the main motivating factors. Indonesia's departure in 2008 was prompted by the opposite cause, being unable to meet its quotas and transforming into a net oil importer. Ecuador left the alliance for 15 years, between 1992 and 2007, for the same reasons as Gabon, but ultimately returned. Other nations, such as the Sudan and Russia, might qualify for future membership.Headquartered in Vienna, Austria and using English as its official language, OPEC often acts in concert to exercise economic clout in the global business world. The infamous 1973 Oil Embargo is just one example of this power, which is often used somewhat more subtly by increasing or reducing oil quotas to manipulate the oil market. However, the organization's members do not always act as one. When prices are high, there is a strong incentive for individual member nations to "cheat" and increase their production, getting a temporary boost in profits at the cost of lowering prices in the near future. Saudi Arabia tends to try to moderate the other members' tendency to try to squeeze maximum profit from net oil importers, fearing that excessive prices would hasten alternate energy plans.One of the most important venues for members of this international economic organization to set policy is the quarterly ministerial meetings that it holds. These meetings are used to set short-term quotas and long-term goals alike. The importance of the decisions reached is highlighted by the fact that fully 1/3 of the world's oil production comes from these nations. Accredited reporters are allowed into these events, though the general public is naturally excluded. Representatives from the countries also visit many energy conferences and summits throughout the year.OPEC members are nations, not individual companies, and work together with others of their kind to control the world's petroleum supply and prices. A number of nations have joined this league since it was created, and two have left, either due to high membership fees or becoming net oil importers. Meetings are held frequently to determine prices, quotas, and policies, though member nations sometimes act independently for their own gain. As long as oil remains a viable energy source, OPEC seems likely to continue in existence also.OPEC was originally formed in response to the power of seven large oil companies, known as the Seven Sisters. Royal Dutch Shell, three branches of Standard Oil (the creation of John D. Rockefeller), Texaco, Gulf Oil, and Anglo-Persian Oil forced the future OPEC nations to export their oil at rock-bottom prices, and then buy it back for exorbitant sums for their own use. Weary of these machinations, the OPEC members banded together and now control over 30 percent of the world's oil.(MORE)

While this question is difficult to answer on a world-wide basis, the Masonic Service Association indicates that there were 1,404,059 living Freemasons in the United States in… the year 2009. The United Grand Lodge of England had approx 222,000 members in 2009. (MORE)

It has been argued on this site by a member, who states that he is 99% certain, that Messi is a Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic Church does not permit its members to become… Freemasons. However, quite a number of Roman Catholics have disregarded that and have become Freemasons anyway. As far as Lionel Messi goes, unless the person specifically states that he is a member of the Freemasons, it is hard to know for sure. (MORE)